Plate Coral

[leelee]

Hello,

Chris and I have this plate coral that I say is dieing and he says is alive and recovering. Several ARC members have seen the coral and think that the plate coral is recovering. My concern is that a portion of the skeleton is showing. There is algae on the exposed skeleton and or lawn mower blennie and yellow tang keep the exposed skeleton clean. Can this coral recover? Thanks
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[twocute2b4u]

How long has the plate been this way?

 

[twocute2b4u]

one more question, what do you normally feed it?

 

[grouper therapy]

What is it recovering from if it is recovering??

 

[twocute2b4u]

Barbara,

I have several plates in my tank, I did not know any better at the time and spot fed them mysis shrimp, unfortunately one of the plates basically choked on the shrimp without me knowing and died.

LeeLee - I hope the plate gets better soon.

 

[fish scales2]

Usually a sign of stress, often caused by direct high flow (dont think so as it would have to come from above) or improper acclimation (either from you or the LFS, I learned the hard way) I am not sure that either of those is what is going on. The good thing is that it is totally expanded and if is still accepting food than you are on the road to recovery. How long have you had it?

Here is a link
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fungiidbehfaqs.htm">http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fungiidbehfaqs.htm</a>
Mid page and dated 3/6

 

[leelee]

Hi everyone, Thanks for input. Have had it for two months and it has been this way for three weeks. Barb, one cleaner shrimp, but does not come near it. I feed the plate myisis shrimp and yes it accepts food. The flow may be to high, because the flow rocks and rolls in the tank, however the plate is not getting direct flow. The plate looks better than it did three weeks ago, but as you can tell looks in distress. Grouper Therapy, I am not sure what it is recovering from? We purchased livestock from someone and it is possible that the plate coral did not make the move well. Acclimation time, drip method three hours... We are very patient with acclimation.

Thanks for everyone's input. I will just keep feeding it and hope for the best. I will be amazed if the gaping mouth closes.....

 

[jgoal55]

IME, plates are slow healers but they are good at it. My suggestion is to put a clear plastic cup around it for as long as it takes to heal.....also, consider an iodine dip and feed it often.

The plastic cup is too keep shrimp, crabs, etc from getting at it. I know you said you dont see the cleaner getting close to it, but plates keep the food they eat store in that mouth area for quite some time. If you are feeding close to lights out and then you head to bed, thats when the crabs/ shrimp get nasty and do anything to get some food.

Best of luck! Itll be fine. it really isnt that bad.....imo, itll heal just with some feeding but if you want to heal quicker use the dip and the cup.

 

[smoothie]

Strawberry baskets are great for this

 

[derek_s]

I dunno, IME it is veryy difficult for a plate cover to recover like that. I would say it is ultimatly doomed, but it is worth a try to save it. THe flesh melting away at the mouth is hard to come back from.

On the positive note, sometimes as they die plate corals spit off baby plate corals, presumably as a last effort to clone themselves. So it is worth a try to hold onto it for a bit. I have seen some plates spit of many many babies in this way.

 

[jennm]

Where there's life, there's hope. Other than the mouth looking weird, the rest looks just fine. I'd leave it be.

I've seen Fungia sp. appear completely DEAD and come back. And Derek makes a good point - even "dead" Fungias can reproduce - so as long as it's not decomposing and fouling the water, I'd leave it there.

Jenn

 

[linda lee]

I had a plate coral do that once when something got lodged in it's mouth. Check for bits of LR rubble or even a piece of hard coral frag. *Flush* the mouth out with a turkey baster while holding it upside down.